Femnet e.V.

This research provides a snapshot of how workers in Nike, Primark, and H&M’s supply chains have been impacted during the pandemic in terms of their wages, working conditions, and labour rights.

The research links the struggles of workers in Cambodia, Bangladesh, and Indonesia directly to the wealthy brands who have profited from their labour. When reports provide a generalised overview of the industry, brands often deny that reported violations occur within their own supply chains, defending their business models with unsubstantiated claims. While this report takes a deeper dive into three brands’ supply chains, we recognise that many other garment brands have similar violations in their supply chains.

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Neben der historischen Seidenstraße, die vom 2. Jahrhundert v. Chr. bis zum 13. Jahrhundert die wichtigste Handelsverbindung zwischen Europa und Asien war, treibt die Volksrepublik China seit einigen Jahren ein global angelegtes Infrastrukturprojekt unter dem Namen „Neue Seidenstraße“ oder „Belt and Road Initiative“ voran. Außen- und wirtschaftspolitisch will China durch vielfältigere und bessere Transportwege die globale Nachfrage nach chinesischen Produkten steigern, sich den Zugang zu Rohstoffen sichern und nicht zuletzt auch durch den Ausbau von Handelsverbindungen über Land das Risiko möglicher Blockaden von Seewegen (zum Beispiel durch die USA) minimieren. Für eine (noch) bessere Integration Chinas in globale Wertschöpfungsketten bildet die „Neue Seidenstraße“ also die infrastrukturelle Grundlage. Entlang der verschiedenen Routen werden Produktionszentren geschaffen, über die Rohstoffe, Vorprodukte und Endprodukte schneller und verlässlicher transportiert und mit den Zielmärkten verbunden werden können.

Die Studie zeigt, dass die chinesische Textilindustrie von der Neuen Seidenstraße“ profitiert, da Export und Import von Waren über bessere Handelswege erleichtert und chinesische Investitionen in die Textilindustrie der Partnerländer der Seidenstraße ermöglicht werden. Doch dies ist ein zweischneidiges Schwert. Wirtschaftliche Entwicklung, die sich die Regierung Kambodschas erhofft und in Xinjiang zu beobachten ist, trägt nur dann zu nachhaltiger Entwicklung bei, wenn Menschen- und Arbeitsrechte berücksichtigt, die lokalen Bevölkerungen beteiligt und auch gute Umweltstandards eingehalten werden.

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This project assesses the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic and the partial withdrawal of the European Union’s Everything but Arms trade arrangement on the employment in Cambodia’s garment sector. These trade related shocks or disruptions are analyzed in the political context of Cambodia’s authoritarian shift , as the country has no functioning political opposition and independent trade unions ability to promote workers’ rights has been compromised. As for the economic context, the report looks at Cambodia’s foothold in the global garment industry , which remains as an assembly platform of low value added apparel. The research addresses this de-facto market specialization and the implications when considering changes in power dynamics between global buyers and manufacturers who are consolidating and transnationalizing their production networks.

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As global brands continue their relentless quest for low-cost production locations, Ethiopia is emerging as a coveted destination. This report presents the results of an investigation of the labor rights environment in Ethiopia’s growing textile and apparel export sector. The investigation included in-depth interviews with garment workers at four export factories producing for leading brands. It reveals wages that are lower, by a substantial margin, than those in any other significant exporting country and grim working conditions that bear little resemblance to the standards the brands claim to be upholding in their supply chains.

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Interview with Parvathi Madappa and Lea Kress

How is the situation of Indian textile workers one year after the start of the pandemic and the 

lockdown in India? How are they affected by the Indian Labour Law Reforms which provoked a massive wave of protests? Parvathi Madappa works for the Indian labour rights organization CIVIDEP and Lea Kress for the German NGO FEMNET. In collaboration with partners in the Global North, CIVIDEP seeks to hold brands accountable for rights violations in their supply chains. For example, CIVIDEP cooperates with the civil society members of the “Textilbündnis” to improve the situation of textile workers. Due to the Corona crisis millions of workers lost their livelihood, that is why CIVIDEP started distributing relief aid and German partners have set up emergency funds.

The podcast is available on different podcast platforms and on the website of mela wear.

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